Inspirational journey of IAS Ira Singhal – 2014 UPSC Topper

All the candidates who are preparing for UPSC examination and willing to clear it in the first attempt can take some tips from this article. Clearing the UPSC exam in the first attempt is like a dream, but you can make your dream real like Ira Singhal did. She made her dream come true by not only cracking the exam but getting the highest rank (AIR 1) and made her parents proud.

IAS (Indian Administrative Service) is the exam conducted by UPSC and considered as one of the toughest exams in India. UPSC conducts IAS exam for the recruitment of officers for India Administrative Civil Service.
Ira Singhal is the lucky one who topped the IAS exam in 2014. Despite being physically disabled she never stops doing hard work and further sees the results.

ABOUT IRA SINGHAL

EARLY LIFE

She was born in Meerut, India. After some time her parents moved to Delhi and now she lives in Delhi only. Her father is also an engineer. Her father gives her the motivation to do hard work and wait for your success. Her mother is an insurance advisor.

She had a lot of work experience. Before clearing IAS exam, she worked in Cadbury India as a Strategy Manager. She also did her internship in marketing at Coca-Cola Company. She also knows Spanish and for a year, she used to teach Spanish to children. Currently, she is posted as Assistant Collector in Government of Delhi.

She was interested in Civil Services, in one of her interviews she said that: “I want to be an IAS officer. I want to do something for physically challenged people”. An interview with Hindustan Times, she told the reporter that “I am both shocked and surprised at becoming the national topper”. She requested all the parents to support her daughter in her career. And let her do what she wants.

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION

She was a bright student at Sophia Girls School at Meerut in her initial days. When her family shifted to Delhi she used to study at Lorento Covent School. She was one of the toppers at her school. She had completed her 10th from Lorento Convent School.

After completing her 10th she moved to another school and completed her further studies. She completed her 12th from Army Public School, Dhaula Kuan. She opted Science in her 11th class.

After completing her schooling she wants to do Engineering. So she had done her Engineering from Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology. She was very interested in technology and always wants to experience something new. She is a great learner.

She did not stop here. She had received Dual MBA in Marketing & Finance from Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi University. She was a bright student in her college as well.

SCORECARD OF IRA SINGHAL

She scored 1082 marks out of 2025 and secured the first rank in UPSC IAS Examination. Her exams are given below:

STRUGGLE

She is physically disabled so, she had to face a lot. Being physically challenged is not the only challenge for her she had to fight with difficult situations. She had to fight against law & orders, rules & regulations. She had done very well in her examination but to reach that level she had to do a lot of hard work and struggle.

She has given the UPSC exam not in only in 2014 but before that also. She had given the Civil Service Examination in 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014. The surprising thing is that she had cleared the exam thrice before 2014. When she cleared the exam in 2010 her real struggle started after that time.

After clearing the exam she was not able to join the civil services as she was not eligible because she is physically handicapped. Due to her physical disability she was not able to get recruited because there she has to do a lot of heavy work like push, pull and lift which will is not good for her health.

But she didn’t stop here. She fought for her rights and for her hard work. She filed a case in the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) and after four years she luckily won that case. After she won the case she was given a posting as Assistant Commissioner in Indian Revenue Service (IRS).

She was not satisfied with this. She wants to become an IAS officer, it was her dream, so, how can she let go of any chance to make her dream reality. She again gave the exams in 2011 and 2013, but she again gets a post of IRS which she doesn’t find suitable for her.

She wants to achieve her dream. So she never loses hope and never stopped doing hard work. She gave the exam in 2014 and her hard work pays off this time. Not just only clearing the exam, she topped the exam in 2014 and becomes the national topper of India.

So, the way she never gives up and never stops doing hard work is an inspiration to all the people. Do your hard work, it will pay off. Hard work is the key to success.

STRATEGY & MOTIVATION

She is motivation to all girls. She is physically challenged and belongs to general category also. It was not easy for her to lead a path like this. But she never gives up on her hard work and dedication. She suffers from Scoliosis (a spine-related disorder), which also disrupts her arm movement. But being physically disabled never demotivated her. In an interview, she said that she had a “crazy desire to serve the country”.

You can take motivation from her and here are some strategy which will help you to be motivated:

1. Hard work

Never stopped doing hard work. Hard work is the only thing that matters. A hard-working person can achieve his/her dreams so easily. Even if the things are not going the way you want after that, always do hard work. Everything will fall into its place. “Hard work should be your priority”.

2. Never Give Up

There should be some difficult time for you when you just want to give up, but never give up on anything and in any situation. “Giving up is not an option”. Be motivated and continue doing your hard work.

3. Motivated

You should always be motivated. You have to motivate yourself in order to remain focused and dedicated. You can motivate yourself by reading some motivational books, stories. You can also reward yourself to stay motivated.